A prominent Pakistani international kabaddi player, Ubaidullah Rajput, is facing the threat of severe disciplinary measures from his national federation. The controversy stems from his participation in a private tournament in Bahrain where he was seen representing a team labelled as 'India'.
Viral Videos Trigger Controversy
The issue came to light after videos and photographs from the GCC Cup event held on December 16 began circulating widely on social media. The visuals showed Rajput wearing a jersey with 'India' written on it and waving the Indian flag during the competition. This act quickly sparked outrage and led to an official inquiry.
Federation's Stern Response and Emergency Meeting
The Pakistan Kabaddi Federation (PKF) has taken a serious view of the incident. Rana Sarwar, the Secretary of the PKF, confirmed that the federation was not informed about the players' travel. He stated that an emergency meeting has been scheduled for December 27 to discuss the matter and decide on disciplinary action against Rajput and other involved players.
Sarwar clarified that the event in Bahrain was a private tournament where teams were formed under country names like India, Pakistan, Canada, and Iran by the organizers. "I can confirm it was a private event... But all the teams had players of their own origin. Indian players represented the Indian private side and Ubaidullah played for them which is unacceptable in these circumstances," he explained. He further revealed that 16 Pakistani players had travelled to Bahrain in a personal capacity without seeking permission from the federation or the Pakistan Sports Board.
Player's Apology and Clarification
In response to the growing controversy, Ubaidullah Rajput has issued an apology. He claimed he was invited to play in the event and was included in a private team, but was unaware it would be named the 'Indian team'. "I didn't know until later they had named the side Indian team and I told the organizers to don't use names of India and Pakistan," Rajput said. He emphasized that while Indian and Pakistani players have often teamed up in private competitions, it has never been under official national banners, especially given the current political climate between the two nations.
The Pakistan Kabaddi Federation also indicated that action would be taken against all players who falsely played under the 'Pakistan team' name in the same private tournament, stating it misrepresented the official national squad.
